By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Congressman Rudy Yakym visited Warsaw Tuesday as part of a tour highlighting military veterans issues, and addressed two distinct topics.
The 2nd District Representative talked about legislation he’s authored in Congress that would ensure that veterans who are considered to be 50 percent disabled or more can get access for a mental health appointment within five days or the US Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to pay for the community care.
The bill is named after Sgt. Ted Grubbs, a resident of St. Joe County who was having a mental health crisis and reached out to the VA, only to be told it would be six weeks before he could get an appointment.
“He literally had a gun to his head and was ready to pull the trigger and reached out to the VA to get an in-person mental health appointment and the VA let him down. That’s why we wake up every day going to bat for people like Sg. Ted Grubbs.”
“The No. 1 concern I hear across the district is access to mental health and specifically, in-person mental health appointments,” Yakym said.
Yakym met with a small group of veterans at the American Legion Post 49 Tuesday afternoon as part of a tour of gatherings with veterans in the district.
He also assured that plans for a proposed Veterans clinic in Warsaw is still on track.
The proposed district was confirmed earlier this year, but the federal government is still working on determining where it will be located.
He also assured that plans for a proposed Veterans clinic in Warsaw are still on track.
Plans to open a new clinic in Warsaw were confirmed earlier this year, but the federal government is still working on determining where it will be located.
Earlier this year, officials with Parkview Health expressed interest in including a VA clinic as part of a new development along US 30 in Warsaw, but Yakym’s office said site selection for the clinic has not yet been finalized.
“What’s important for the veterans in this community to know is that we have heard them on that request and we continue to be their advocate to make that come to fruition,” Yakym said.
A spokesman for Yakym said they want to see the plan come together soon, but did not have any kind of timetable.
Veterans at the meeting also expressed dismay over the VA’s rotation of doctors as well as a phone service, part of which Yakym described as an “unmitigated disaster.”
